Means for conveying and arranging cans in rows



Oct. 27, 1953 E. c. KRAUS ET AL 2,656,910

` MEANS FOR CONVEYING AND ARRANGING CANS IN ROWS Original Filed May 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 27, 1953 E. C. KRAUS ET AL 2,656,910

MEANS FOR CONVEYING AND ARRANGING CANS IN ROWS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 14, 1947 Oct. 27, 1953 E. c. KRAUS ET AL 2,656,910

MEANS FOR CONVEYING lNND ARRANGING cANs 1N Rows Original Filed May 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 27, 1953 MEANS FOR CGNVEYING AND ARRANGING CANS IN ROWS Edwin C. Kraus and Maurice V. Douthtt, Ortonville, Minn.

Original application May 14, 1947, Serial No.

Divided and this application January 12, 1949, Serial No. 70,544

9 Claims. l

Our present invention relates to a machine in which cans are delivered thereto in bulk arrangement, and fed therefrom in a row.

This invention is a division of our pending application entitled, Method and Machine for Handling Tin Cans to be Filled, iiled May 14, 1947, under Serial No. 748,132.

The object of this invention is to provide a highly eflicient machine in which cans are delivered thereto in bulk arrangement, and fed therefrom in a row.

To the above end the invention consists of the novel device and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of the same;

l Fig. 3 is a fragmentary lview partly in plan and partly in section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 4 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of the parts shown in Fig. 3 and further showing an electric motor for driving the deliecting belts.

The numeral 5 indicates a frame supporting a deck '3 on which rests the upper run of a wide endless conveyor belt 1. This belt 1 runs over a driven front pulley 8 and a rear idle pulley 9 on a shaft I journaled in bearings II on the frame 5. The pulley 8 is carried by a shaft I2 journalled in bearings I3 on the frame 5 and having on one of its end portions a large spur gear I4 that meshes with a spur pinion I5 on a shaft IB journaled in bearings I1 on the frame 5 directly below the shaft I2.

A crossed belt I8 runs over a large pulley I9 on the opposite end of the shaft I6 from the spur pinion I and a small pulley 20 on a countershaft 2l journaled in bearings 22 on the frame 5. This counter-shaft 2I is driven from an electric motor 23 mounted on the frame 5 under the deck 6 by a belt 24 that runs over a small pulley 25 on the armature shaft 26 of the motor 23 and a large pulley 21 on the counter-shaft 2|.

A pair of narrow conveyor belts 28 extend parallel to the conveyor belt 1 and are closely positioned, one at each longitudinal edge of said belt 1. These two conveyor belts 28 run over front driven pulleys 29 on a driven shaft 39 journaled in bearings 3I on the front end of the frame 5, and the rear idle pulleys 32 on a shaft 33 journaled in bearings 34 on the frame 5.

The conveyor belts 1 and 28 are driven in the same direction, as indicated by arrows thereon in Fig. 2, and their upper runs are all in the same plane as the deck 6. The conveyor belt 1 extends rearwardly of the conveyor belts 29, and the conveyor belts 28 extend forwardly of the conveyor belt 1. The conveyor belts 28 are driven considerably faster than the conveyor belt 1.

Tiers of cans are successively moved by sliding the same onto the conveyor belt 1 in bulk arrangement from a carriage 35 on a frame 39, fragmentarily shown. This carriage 35 and frame 33, and all parts associated therewith are fully shown, described and broadly claimed in the pending application heretofore identified.

Guard rails 31 secured to the deck 6 extend from the frame 33 forwardly along the longitudinal edge portions of the conveyor belt 'I and overlap the inner longitudinal edges of the conveyor belts 48 at their rear end portions. At the outer longitudinal edges of the conveyor belts 23 are guard rails 38 secured to the frame 5 and extend substantially the full length of said belts. A short deck 39, attached to the guard rails 31, extends from the frame 3E to the upper run of the conveyor belt 1 and is in the same plane as said upper run.

A pair of can deiiectors 48 and 4I overlie the front end portions of the conveyor belt 1 for directing the can .r on the conveyor belt 1 into rows on the conveyor belts 28. Each deliector 49 and 4I is a pair of endless V-belts 42 and 43 respectively, and the belts of each pair are arranged to run in parallel horizontal planes. All of the V-belts 42 and 43 run over pulleys 44 on a single upright rear shaft 45 above the belt 1 at its transverse center. The belts 42 and 43 also run over front pulleys 46 and 41 respectively, on upright shafts 48 and 49 respectively. These shafts 4S and 49 are forward of the front end of the conveyor belt 1 and located, the former close to the right hand conveyor belt 28, and the latter close to the left hand conveyor belt 29. The shafts 45, 48. and 49, at their upper end portions, are journaled in a horizontally disposed frame 59 that overlies the belt 'i and secured at its ends to the frame 5. The shaft 45 at its intermediate portions is journaled in a bracket 5I on the frame 5 and the shafts 48 and 49, at their lower ends are journaled in bearings 52 on said frame.

The shaft 48 is driven by a belt 53 that runs over a pulley 54 on said shaft and a pulley 55 on the armature shaft 26 of the motor 23. The shaft 49 is driven from the shaft 48 by a crossed belt 56 that runs over pulleys 51 and 58 on said shafts ment and upon reaching theideectors ,and

4l, that are in forwardly diverging relation from the transverse center of the conveyor belt l', divide said cans and direct the vsaniedntoV rows onto the conveyor belts 28. Due to the diier-ent speeds at which the conveyorfbelts .T an'dfZ are moving, the cans a: are spac ed apartfin asingle row on each conveyor belt 28. If the cans a: are empty, they are moved by the conveyor belts 28 to a filling mechanism, not shown, on the other hand when said cans are -illed, they are moved by the belts f-flfto a packagingcounter.

While-:this invention-has been described ffor lnovingfcans, the sameis equally wel-l adapted for moving otherkinds ocontainers.

From what-has been said, it A'Will--l:'e-understood that 4the inventionV described-is capablevv of l.modications -as to details-fof construction and arrangement vwithinithescope of-the invention herein-described andclaimed.

- What we'clairnis:

1-.- 11n a machine` of the class l desoribech a.i main frame, anv'endless main conveyor belt for carrying receptacles thereon in bulk, an endless auxiliary conveyor belt at each `side ofthe-main conveyor belt, means for driving-the conveyor belts `at-A diierent speeds, =the speedoffthe auxiliary conveyor belts beingmateriallyffasterr thanl the speed 4 the delecting belts facing the auxiliary belts in the same general direction as the main belt.

3. In a machine of the class described, a main endless conveyor belt for carrying receptacles thereon in bulls, an auxiliary endless conveyor b elt on each side o ffthe n iainbelt, parallel thereto, with only working clearance between the adjacent longitudinal edges of their upper runs which are in the same plane, means for driving the belts 1in gtlieisanretdirection,-the speed of the auxiliary `beltA eing materially faster than that of the main y belt, two pairs c f deecting belts overlying the of the main conveyor Abelt, a pair-ofdecetors for directing ithe receptacles -cnto r'the auxiliary conveyor belts-in Vsingle lrows; `sai'd deflect-,ors including a bearing frame overl-ying .the main frame, an` upright yshaft-at the transverse center ofthe mainl conveyor -beltjournaled on'tlie bea-ring frame, pair of laterally -spacedupright shafts journaled in bearings lon the main -frame forwardly of the main f conveyor 1 belt, two pairs of pulleys on the rst noted shaft, a pairo-f pulleys on feachof the lastnoted-shaftsya pairof upper and V'lower belts arranged v"to run 4over 1 the pulleys oni-eachV ofthe last lnotedsl-iait and-one or the-pairs oipulleys onfthefiirstnoted shafts,

and means for -driving-thelastrnoted shafts includingv dri-ving connectionsbetweensaidehafts. In a1 machine ofi-thfaolas'sz described, a main endless `conveyor 'belt for carrying =receptacles thereon inbulk, han Aauxiliary endless-conveyor beit oneachiside of the main beltfparallelfthereto, with only aver-king clearance -between-y theadjacentlongitudlnal edges of their; upper runswhich areiin the same planeymeansifordriving thebelts in` the same direction, the speed ot vthe auxiliary belts f being materially lfaster than that-fof Lthe main "belt, a pair of delectirrg'fbeltsoverlying the main vbelt for directing 'the receptacles Vthereon cntothe auxiliary belts-saiddeiiectin-g belts-beingin forwardly i diverging relation, -a--pair eof vrear idle-pulleysniountedfto independently turn about a common vertical axis: at the transverse center of the main belt, la ypair -of `v`front driven'y pulleys mounted tc= turn about --axes parallel to the axis main belt-for-directing the receptacles thereon ontoA the auxiliary belts, said pairs or" belts being sinforwardlyidivergingrrelation, two pairs of rear :idle pulleysmountedto independently turn about aqcommonwerticalsaxis at the transverse center of V` ;,he ,.1nain belt, two pairs of driven pulleys mounted to turn about axes parallel to the axis of Atheidle pulleys, one, pair of said driven pulleys being each of thel'lengi-tul-inal edge portions of the-main belt, -eachpair of deiiectng belts being arranged to run over one pair of the-idle puiieys and one pair of ,the driven pulleys, the belts -ofjthe two pairs being arranged to run in alternate horizontalyplanes, and-means forV turning the driven pulleysfto drivethe runs of `the delecting ybelts facing "the Aauxiliary belts inthe saine general direction as the-mainbelt.

if Ina machine ofthe Aclass described, a'main conveyor belt for carrying `articles 4thereon vin bulla, means for drivingthe belt', conveyor means disposed at each side ofthe belt, a pairof deflecting belts overlying ythe main belt for directing thearti-clesthereon to Mthe side conveyor means, said deiiectingibeltsbeing in diverging relation, a pair of pulleys, one lfor eachbelt, atht he converging ends thereof, said'pulleysbeingsubstantiaily coaxially mounted, ,an-d. a ,pair of pulleys, one for eachhelt, at tl1e'divrsi11s-ends thereof, sai-d last na'medpulleys` bein'gini laterally ,spaced relation in respect to the longitudinal Maxis Yof the main belt, and means'lor driving the,deflect-l ing belts at 4a kpredeterminenrate .pf y speed' in resect tothe driven,y speed lof Athe nain conveyor be 5. In a machine of the Aclass c iescribe'd, aJ p jlain endless conveyor 1belt for arrying-recept2iles thereon rlb ulka,rair;of endless aux.' 'airy @golfr-Y veyor belts o neat Veach side ofthe, ,medirbelt',d parallel thereto, with only a working clearancejbetween thmadjacentlcnsitudna'l' edges of the belts; are,l disposed aboveitheimain Conveyor-belt, andare: positioned: substantially, at-:thef trans-verse center thereof.

f 8. `A machine :as -dened iin t' claim `55', `wherein -said auxiliary -conveyor 1 belts f are operable at a 5 faster lineal speed than the lineal speed of the main conveyor belt.

9. A machine as defined in claim 5, wherein each of said deflecting belts comprises upper and lower sections, operable together, and arranged in vertical supermposition, a section of one belt being disposed in a plane lying between the sections of the other belt.

EDWIN C. KRAUS. MAURICE V. DOUTHITT.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number r 1,898,662 1,990,549 2,242,531 

